I didn’t intend to add the recipe for this breakfast dish today but since there were a lot of requests for it, I’ll add it below. It’s hearty and super delicious and I have a very similar recipe that yields a larger dish in my cookbook, Summer Ramadan Cooking, which can be purchased here.

I made this one just for myself because I often have eggs at breakfast and if it’s more than just me at the table, I repeat this recipe so that it makes one nicely-rounded egg dish and pours easily onto the plate because the whole dish starts off with butter.

A few notes:

-Fresh herbs make everything better, so try to avoid the dried ones.

-To find the sejouk, or Turkish-style spiced sausage, is a great substitute for chorizo and goes so well with eggs. If you don’t want to actually cook with it, just cut a few pieces up and keep it on the side of the eggs when serving.

-This was part of a Turkish-style breakfast that I was craving, also known as kahvalti. I didn’t go the full course because I didn’t have all the fixings on hand, but if you want to go all out, add fresh cheese like feta, some wonderful Mediterranean olives, fresh jams, make borek (it’s easier than you think), and of course do not forget the tea…

Here’s the recipe- are you hungry yet?

Breakfast Eggs for One with Sejouk & Fresh Herbs

2015-02-19 00:19:52

Looking for a hearty breakfast recipe? This one should do it- eggs, spicy meat, topped with cheese and fresh herbs and served with any kind of bread you prefer. It's a great way to start a very long day.

In a very small saute pan, melt the butter. Crack the eggs into the pan immediately and sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Cut the sejouk into small pieces and place on top. Let this cook on low heat for about 3-4 minutes, uncovered.

Add the cheese and fresh herbs then cover the dish for another 2-3 minutes, or until the egg yolks are firm.

Slide the eggs out of the pan and onto a serving dish or plate. Serve with fresh bread and creams, jams and a side of tea.

Notes

*Some people like to cook the sejouk first and break the eggs on top, which is another good way to make this dish. From there, you can top with salt, pepper, herbs and cheese and finish as directed. In this way, you may not need to use butter, as the sejouk has some that will release and help it cook without burning.

]]>http://myhalalkitchen.com/breakfast-eggs-one-sejouk-fresh-herbs/feed/3Chorizo and Eggshttp://myhalalkitchen.com/chorizo-and-eggs/
http://myhalalkitchen.com/chorizo-and-eggs/#commentsWed, 05 Oct 2011 04:08:44 +0000http://www.myhalalkitchen.com/?p=8525It's been more than ten years since I've eaten chorizo, a type of Spanish sausage spiced with flavors like paprika which gives it an orange color. The reason I haven't had it in so many years is because it's mostly made with pork.

]]>It’s been more than ten years since I’ve eaten chorizo, a type of Spanish sausage spiced with flavors like paprika which gives it an orange color. The reason I haven’t had it in so many years is because it’s mostly made with pork. The only time I remember having it was on some tacos in Mexico during my time in the Yucatán. It’s quite popular in all Latin American countries, actually.

Chorizo and Eggs, not quite finished here

I recently had the chance to get halal chorizo made by Whole Earth Meats.

Of course there are hunderds of things you can do with chorizo, especially if you take it out of the skin and use it as ground meat. It’s great in tacos, burritos and even soups since it’s usually packed with great flavor.

The day I made this recipe, I just really wanted to make a quick and hearty dish that we could add to tortillas, big or small. This chorizo and eggs dish was made for dinner, but also served as great leftovers for brunch the next day.

]]>http://myhalalkitchen.com/chorizo-and-eggs/feed/4The Importance of Suhoor & a Recipe for Parmesan-Feta Quichehttp://myhalalkitchen.com/the-importance-of-suhoor-a-recipe-for-parmesan-feta-quiche/
http://myhalalkitchen.com/the-importance-of-suhoor-a-recipe-for-parmesan-feta-quiche/#commentsFri, 05 Aug 2011 10:10:57 +0000http://www.myhalalkitchen.com/?p=7837Everyone is talking about this year’s daily fasts in Ramadan being so long because sunset (the time when the fast is broken) will come a little after 8pm here in Chicago. It’s also a hot summer season. Very hot. Fasting isn’t meant to be perfectly easy or else how could we savor the reward of ...

]]>Everyone is talking about this year’s daily fasts in Ramadan being so long because sunset (the time when the fast is broken) will come a little after 8pm here in Chicago. It’s also a hot summer season. Very hot.

Fasting isn’t meant to be perfectly easy or else how could we savor the reward of building self-discipline? It’s also not meant to harm us, either. We have to do it right so that we can experience it with enough energy to get through the day, do our work and take care of other responsibilities.

I suggest the way to fast successfully is to eat as healthy as you possibly can during ‘eating hours’ and never, ever miss suhoor (the pre-dawn meal before fasting). By eating healthy, I don’t mean just eating fruits, vegetables and protein, but I mean eating all of those foods that have been grown in nutrient-rich soil, traveled only a short distance and are as minimally processed as possible.

Foods that satisfy and nourish our bodies don’t strip away our energy, leaving us lethargic and crashing by midday. Instead, foods packed with energy, made from whole ingredients and from animals that have been treated and fed well throughout their life actually give us the energy and nutrition we need to get through a long day of fasting. It’s not about the quantity of food we eat, but truly about the quality.

I like to think about eggs as a great example of how we can easily eat healthy and hearty at the same time. If you crack an egg open and it’s golden yellow, it’s full of nutrition and all the good stuff your body needs to use the vitamins and minerals in it. What that means is that whoever is raising those chickens is most likely taking great care of them- giving them great ventilation, all-vegetarian feed and allowing them exposure to the sun or outdoors. We should be eating chicken only from farmers and businesses who of course assure their product is halal, but also those that can tell us the animals have been well taken care of, are properly-fed, and are free of antibiotics or hormones.

Without that, the question is ‘what are we really putting into our bodies and how is it helping us through long days of fasting or any other time’?

To have a hearty suhoor, avoid sugary, salty or fried foods and instead eat a well-balanced meal that includes plenty of protein, whole grain and even vegetables and/or fruit. I like to go a little higher in protein than I usually do and have eggs plus beans or meat because they really help me last throughout the day. It’s much better than eating sugary cereals or overloading on carbs with typical breakfast foods like pancakes or waffles.

Parmesan & Feta Quiche

I could honestly eat some of the meaty chicken tenders by Saffron Road with this quiche recipe. They’re so lightly breaded and not at all spicy- it’s actually a quick, easy and no-mess food for suhoor when you’re generally half-awake to cook anything, anyway.

Prepare the quiche the night before by baking it in the evening when it’s cooler outside. Or, reserve the egg batter and defrosted ready-made pie crust in the refrigerator, separately then bake. If you do that, you’ll have to give yourself at least an hour for baking and cooling before eating.

Parmesan and Feta Quiche

Ingredients

1 ready-made pie crust

1 ½ cups vegetarian rennet-based Parmesan grated

8 eggs

¾ cup milk

1 cup Feta cheese

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoons butter (5 small pats around the top of the raw quiche)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°.

Roll out the pie dough and place in an ungreased glass pie plate. Fold and crimp the edges as you would a pie.

Place ½ cup grated Parmesan in the center of the pie and spread around evenly.

Mix the eggs with the milk and beat vigorously until they are thoroughly mixed.

Add the Feta and salt (most Feta is generally very salty, so you may not want to add much more salt to the mix). Add the ground pepper, parsley, thyme and basil. Mix again.

Pour egg mixture into the pie plate. Add the pats of the butter all around the top.

Add the remaining Parmesan cheese.

To bake, place the pie plate on the baking sheet in case anything spills over. Cover the edges with foil to prevent burning.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the eggs are completely cooked in the center and the top is nicely browned.

]]>http://myhalalkitchen.com/the-importance-of-suhoor-a-recipe-for-parmesan-feta-quiche/feed/5Roasted Pepper Frittatahttp://myhalalkitchen.com/roasted-pepper-fritatta/
http://myhalalkitchen.com/roasted-pepper-fritatta/#commentsTue, 03 May 2011 05:16:00 +0000http://www.myhalalkitchen.com/?p=6859Talk about a quick dinner- and yes, frittatas make great quick and nutritious dinners. Just take it from the rural Italians who live on such rustic, satisfying food. I roasted my peppers ahead of time, but you can easily purchase peppers in glass jars from most grocery stores How to Roast Peppers Peppers of all kinds can ...

]]>Talk about a quick dinner- and yes, frittatas make great quick and nutritious dinners. Just take it from the rural Italians who live on such rustic, satisfying food.

I roasted my peppers ahead of time, but you can easily purchase peppers in glass jars from most grocery stores

How to Roast Peppers

Peppers of all kinds can be fire roasted in a variety of ways. You can use bell peppers or small sweet peppers. If you’re adventurous enough, you may even want to fire roast hot peppers.

To roast, clean peppers well then pat dry. You can then either 1) place peppers directly on the flame of a gas stove; 2) or place peppers on a comal or metal pan over an electric or gas stove; 3) in the summer or warm climates, there’s always the luxury of roasting over the hot coals of an outdoor grill.

For all three methods, simple allow one side of each pepper at a time to blacken, but not turn white (over-blackened). Rotate until the entire pepper has blackened. Then, allow the peppers to rest either out on a plate, or preferably in a paper bag. This allows them to sweat, making it easier to peel later on.

Let them rest for about 10-15 minutes, or until the blackened skin is easy to peel. I like to wear gloves so that the black stuff doesn’t get stuck underneath my short nails since it’s so hard to get off. Otherwise, just use a non-serrated, but sharp knife (paring knives work great) to scrape the black part off.

Cut the peppers as usual- dice or julienne- depending on how you choose to use them in a recipe. They’re ready to be eaten ‘raw’, but are basically very well-cooked at this point, and easier to digest since the skin has been so well softened by this process.

Roasted peppers are absolutely delicious on pasta, on pizza, in tuna salads, eggs or just alone with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar as a pepper salad of their own.

Here’s how I used them most recently…

Roasted Pepper Frittata

Ingredients

5 small colored peppers (mild)

4 eggs

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

cheddar or any other type of hard cheese, cut into small pieces

olive oil or butter

Directions

Use jarred roasted peppers or roast your own. Chop them roughly or dice, according to your preferance.

In a medium size bowl, break the eggs. Add the cream and whisk together. Add the parsley, salt and chopped peppers. Mix to combine.

In a heavy-bottom, oven-proof skillet, melt the butter or warm the oil. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and turn the heat to a medium-high. Add the small pieces of cheese to the top.

Cook for about three minutes to allow the eggs to set. Once you start to see the edges brown, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the frittata has thickened all throughout and isn’t watery anymore. It should be fully cooked, just not browned on top.

Turn the oven broiler on high and place the entire (oven-proof) pan into the oven under the broiler. Keep it there for three minutes only, which should be sufficient time for it to brown nicely on top.

]]>http://myhalalkitchen.com/roasted-pepper-fritatta/feed/15Easy Appetizer: Egg Salad and Baby Shrimp on Toasthttp://myhalalkitchen.com/easy-appetizer-egg-salad-and-baby-shrimp-on-toast/
http://myhalalkitchen.com/easy-appetizer-egg-salad-and-baby-shrimp-on-toast/#commentsSat, 16 Oct 2010 22:33:37 +0000http://www.myhalalkitchen.com/?p=5566If you’ve already got egg salad on hand, this is a super quick appetizer to prepare. If not, here’s my recipe for a healthy and quick egg salad to get you started. This appetizer came about on a day when I was busy working, unprepared to cook and not feeling well enough to put out a spread ...

This appetizer came about on a day when I was busy working, unprepared to cook and not feeling well enough to put out a spread of my usual fan fare for guests. One look at my cabinet and I found canned baby shrimp and Hawaiian Pink Salt by this ‘great’ company called Great Salts (more on them later). One look at my refrigerator and I found a freshly homemade egg salad, some Persian cucumbers, and multi-grain bread.

My brain immediately went scanning for information to put together a simple, pleasing appetizer that would go well with a refreshing drink or simple tea for my guests. I thought of finger food on top of toast or crackers. I would cut the bread into fours and bake it until toasty and then top it with my ingredients on hand, piling them one by one for a pretty as well as flavorful appetizer.

With kitchen shears, cut bread into four equal pieces. Place in heated oven for 15 minutes or until nicely toasted.

On a serving platter, line up toasts evenly. Layer each piece with two slices of cucumber, topped with a dollup of the egg salad. Add a few baby shrimp on top of the eggs and finish with a couple sprinkles of the salt.

Keep refrigerated until serving.

Resources

Great Salts sells lovely and unique salts such as Celtic, Himalayan, Hawaiian and smoked salts. You have to visit their website to grasp all the varieties they sell and the possibilities for utilization in cooking. I particularly love pink salts and finishing salts, for which the Alaea Hawaiian Sea Salt was perfect in this dish, though technically doesn’t fit into either category. It was simply a great finisher for the top of the appetizer but also added a beautiful, complementary color as well as a crunchy texture to the bite-sized treat.

I also have the Sel Gris de Guérande (Celtic Grey Sea Salt), which I use in every day cooking and the Black Truffle Salt, which I use sparingly for really special dishes.

Overall, their prices are quite reasonable, particularly for the high quality and very cute jars they come in (I’ll be saving mine long after the salt is gone). I wouldn’t normally be such a fan of mail-order foods or condiments, but I have to say this is one item I just may have to replenish, insha’allah. There’s just no comparison I’ve seen in the salt world yet, and my interest is peaked in all the other varieties they have available.

]]>http://myhalalkitchen.com/easy-appetizer-egg-salad-and-baby-shrimp-on-toast/feed/5Egg Saladhttp://myhalalkitchen.com/egg-salad/
http://myhalalkitchen.com/egg-salad/#commentsSat, 16 Oct 2010 04:57:40 +0000http://www.myhalalkitchen.com/?p=5585Once you’ve got a great recipe for egg salad, there’s so much you can do with it: serve it up in a sandwich or parcel it out for appetizers. Either way, I really love the versatility of this dish and the fact that it’s nutritious and always a crowd pleaser. Start out with the freshest, ...

]]>Once you’ve got a great recipe for egg salad, there’s so much you can do with it: serve it up in a sandwich or parcel it out for appetizers. Either way, I really love the versatility of this dish and the fact that it’s nutritious and always a crowd pleaser.

Start out with the freshest, cage-free, organic eggs, if possible. I also love making my own mayonnaise or buying a good quality organic variety such as the one sold at Trader Joe’s.

Once you’ve got the base recipe, add additions you love. We like capers and olives and roasted peppers in our house. What would you like to add?

Egg Salad Recipe

Serves 6

8 eggs

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

salt, to taste

freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon dried mint

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1 tablespoon capers

Yields 2 cups of egg salad (makes 4 sandwiches)

Boil eggs for about 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water and allow them to cool in that water for 5-10 minutes. This will make them easier to peel.

Peel the eggs of their shells and place eggs in a large bowl. Use a potato masher or the back of a large fork to gently mash the eggs until you reach the consistency desired for sandwiches or appetizers.

]]>http://myhalalkitchen.com/egg-salad/feed/3Baked Phyllo Shells with Scrambled Eggs: An Easy Suhoorhttp://myhalalkitchen.com/baked-phyllo-shells-with-scrambled-eggs-an-easy-suhoor/
http://myhalalkitchen.com/baked-phyllo-shells-with-scrambled-eggs-an-easy-suhoor/#commentsThu, 19 Aug 2010 16:42:11 +0000http://www.myhalalkitchen.com/?p=5061What an easy recipe for suhoor (pre-dawn meal before fasting) for your family or for large gatherings such as a qiyam-al-layl (staying up all night for prayer). You can make the phyllo shells the day before and they’ll be just fine to fill them in with the freshly cooked scrambled eggs. For a savory appetizer using ...

]]>What an easy recipe for suhoor (pre-dawn meal before fasting) for your family or for large gatherings such as a qiyam-al-layl (staying up all night for prayer). You can make the phyllo shells the day before and they’ll be just fine to fill them in with the freshly cooked scrambled eggs.

Remove and roll out the entire phyllo dough from the 16 oz. package and cut the entire thing in half.

Place 1 sheet of the phyllo dough on a clean, dry surface; brush the entire surface generously with melted butter. Sprinkle lightly with a modest amount of the freshly cut herbs. Place another sheet of phyllo on top, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with another modest amount of the fresh herbs. Repeat with 2 more sheets of phyllo to total four sheets.

Bake until the edges are just golden brown about 10 minutes. When done, set aside to cool.

Repeat step 2 with 4 more sheets of phyllo dough, melted butter, and fresh herbs. Repeat again, for a total of 36 cups.

Directions for the Scrambled Eggs

In a large sauté pan, warm the olive oil.

Add the red onions and sweet peppers and sauté for about 3-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, salt and papper and cook until the tomatoes have softened.

Crack the eggs directly into pan and stir to scramble with the rest of the ingredients until the engtire mixture is blended and scrambled.

Set aside to cool.

Directions for Filling the Baked Phyllo Cups

While the baked phyllo cups are still in the muffin tins and cooled, place ½ teaspoon feta cheese in the bottom of each phyllo cup.

Place 1 teaspoon of the egg mixture on top of the feta cheese.

Bake until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Garnish with a small dollup of butter and a bit of fresh, flat leaf parsley for décor and taste.

*Note: if you need to re-heat these for any reason, do so in the oven or a small toaster oven for about 2-3 minutes. Re-heating in the microwave will cause the cups to soften too much and lose their crispiness.

]]>http://myhalalkitchen.com/baked-phyllo-shells-with-scrambled-eggs-an-easy-suhoor/feed/4Cherry Tomato and Sharp Cheddar Cheese Quichehttp://myhalalkitchen.com/cherry-tomato-and-sharp-cheddar-cheese-quiche/
http://myhalalkitchen.com/cherry-tomato-and-sharp-cheddar-cheese-quiche/#commentsSun, 23 May 2010 04:53:27 +0000http://www.myhalalkitchen.com/?p=4033One of my favorite things about pie crust is that it’s so versatile once you have some ideas of what to do with it. It’ s a whole new tasting experience to try savory dishes using pie dough instead of just the typical (but deliciously sweet) fruit pies. Another thing I love is the technique involved in ...

]]>One of my favorite things about pie crust is that it’s so versatile once you have some ideas of what to do with it. It’ s a whole new tasting experience to try savory dishes using pie dough instead of just the typical (but deliciously sweet) fruit pies. Another thing I love is the technique involved in learning how to make quiche, which is a French word for a savory open tart with a custard-type filling, usually made up of vegetables.

The most famous quiche is the Quiche Lorraine, (made with cheese and bacon, obviously not halal) but once you learn how to make one type of quiche, you can make yours with anything you have on hand. That’s the beauty of learning cooking techniques– they will feed help you feed yourself, as opposed to just memorizing recipes, which will leave you dependent on ingredients and instructions.

I made this recipe using a lovely Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese from Cabot, mainly because they are halal-certified and also because the company was generous enough to introduce me to this specific style of their cheese by sending a couple boxes of their many cheese varieties. I’m loving experimenting with the different (all halal-certified) types they have. Try their excellent cheese and try this quiche with it, or use any vegetables you have. If you don’t have any veggies, just make a simple cheese quiche. Simplicity is always a good thing.

]]>http://myhalalkitchen.com/cherry-tomato-and-sharp-cheddar-cheese-quiche/feed/16The Spanish Tortillahttp://myhalalkitchen.com/the-spanish-tortilla/
http://myhalalkitchen.com/the-spanish-tortilla/#commentsFri, 26 Mar 2010 02:25:36 +0000http://www.myhalalkitchen.com/?p=3311Among Mexicans and many Americans, the word ‘tortilla’ is commonly understood to be the type of corn or flour-based flat bread used to fill with things like rice, beans and meat. In Spain, however, ‘tortilla’ is more of a thick egg omelet, sometimes filled with things like shredded chicken and served as an appetizer or ...

]]>Among Mexicans and many Americans, the word ‘tortilla’ is commonly understood to be the type of corn or flour-based flat bread used to fill with things like rice, beans and meat. In Spain, however, ‘tortilla’ is more of a thick egg omelet, sometimes filled with things like shredded chicken and served as an appetizer or a sandwich on thick and hearty Spanish baguettes. When I was a student in Spain, my host mother used to make this very big sandwich every time I had a class excursion out of town. It was completely filling and nourished me on a day full of fun and adventure outdoors, but I never learned how to make it- just eat it!

That said, Spanish Tortilla is good cold and makes an excellent packed lunch or picnic dish. For party food, you can even cut a tortilla into squares and put toothpicks in each bite for people to serve themselves a tapa, or a snack.

Recently, I re-wrote the recipe with a better method than I’d been using. I saw an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown show where at a small Moroccan stall one man served it with mayo and ketchup slathered on top (which is actually quite good when you sub tomato sauce for the ketchup). I went back to my own recipe and revised- so much better than the first few times (even though the previous version was good, too).

Remove the skins from the potatoes (optional) and slice thinly in rounds or quarter them. Boil until soft and drain of all water.

In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream and salt. Add the boiled and drained potatoes.

Using a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil.

Add the whisked egg mixture and cook on medium-high until the bottom begins to brown. Place in the heated oven, uncovered.

Let the tortilla bake for about 15 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned. Cover for the last few minutes to ensure the middle is cooked thoroughly. If you have a broiler, place the uncovered pan directly under the fire during the last two minutes of cooking.

Allow the tortilla to cool a few minutes before serving.

Cut into triangular pieces and serve with mayo and sauce/ketchup as optional toppings and rustic bread to eat as a sandwich, if desired.

]]>A recipe of mainly Italian ingredients, this meal will leave you satisfied and energized throughout the day, insha’allah. Serve with rustic Italain bread, pita or whatever type of bread you like to scoop up the tomato and cheesy parts.

Organic Eggs – Hunt’s Organic Farm (Oberlin, Ohio)

This recipe serves two, but is easy to double or triple the measurements. If you do increase the portions, you will need either a larger saute pan or use two pans at once. Be sure to have a large enough pan for the number of eggs you’re using.

Italian Stovetop Eggs

Ingredients

2 Tb. tomato paste

1 Tb. olive oil

2 Tb. red onions, diced

4 eggs, large or jumbo

2 Tb. heavy cream or whole milk

parsley, curly or flat leaf, to top

fresh Romano or Parmesan, to top

Directions

1. Mix olive oil and tomato paste togther. Heat a large saute pan on med-high. When hot, add this mixture to pan. Reduce to medium heat.

2. Once this mixture begins to bubble, add the sliced red onions. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until onions become soft.

3. Crack each egg directly into the pan, leaving a bit of space between each one. Allow to cook for several minutes.

4. Once you see the yolks begin to pop out, but are still fluid, pour the heavy cream across all four eggs. Allow to continue to cook for several more minutes. Do not cover. Eggs are done once the yolk is firm, but not dry, approximately 3-5 more minutes.

5. Right before serving, top with fresh cheese and then roughly chopped parsley.

Serve with thinly sliced radishes, yogurt, olives or any type of bite-size appetizers you can find.

Don’t be surprised to see the most beautiful golden yolk when you crack them open…

*Hunt’s Organic Farm is a small farm located in Oberlin, Ohio. We found it by driving towards Oberlin College through a stretch of rural roads leading up to the university’s downtown area. The eggs are bred from beautifu hens that roam free in the owner’s backyard henhouses and living area. For $3.50 a dozen, it’s a great deal. Drive up or call for pick-up: 440.935.5643.